On Sparse Matrices in Finite Element Wave Propagation

The finite element method has been extensively applied to the solution of static and dynamic problems. Some work has been done in finite element wave propagation but matrix techniques typically employed require vast amounts of computer main memory and peripheral storage devices. In this work, a method is presented which utilizes the sparse nature of the coefficient matrix. The method enables problem execution in a smaller main memory space than standard techniques. A comparison is made on memory requirements and run times for both standard methods utilizing conventional assembly techniques, some sparse matrix techniques and the proposed scheme.